(Answer to #1) Often, having retrieved search results, you would like to quickly locate certain key information. For example, suppose that your search resulted in a list of twenty cases relevant to your topic. Westlaw's Locate in Results tool allows you to scan the documents in your search results for terms that were not included in your query, and in that way narrow the search results. When browsing through search results, it is important to remember that the time spent using the service is costly. If you have found a case or cases that appear to be on point, you can print them out (or download them) for further study.H
(Answer to #2) KeyCite uses case status flags to indicate when there is case history that should be investigated. Depending on the color of the flag, you are warned that a case is not good law for at least one of its points, that the case has some negative history but its holding has not been reversed, or that the case has been overruled. Stars added to the citation of a citing case show the extent to which your case is discussed in the citing case. For example, four stars would indicate that the citing case contains an extended discussion of your case, and one star indicates the reference is brief.
(Answer to #3) The lack of a single, comprehensive catalogue of what is available on the Internet has led to hundreds of attempts to survey and map the Web. Lists of Web sites categorized by subject are organized into guides and directories, which can be accessed at Web sites online. These sites provide menus of topics that are usually subdivided into narrower subtopics, which themselves may be subdivided, until a list of URLs is reached. If you're uncertain of which menu to use, directories allow you to run a search of the directory site. Popular examples of online directories include Google (
www.google.com) and, for legal professionals, FindLaw (lp.findlaw.com). FindLaw offers an increasingly complete array of resources. Topic areas include cases and codes, U.S. federal resources, forms, legal subjects, software and technology, reference resources, law student resources, and many others. You should familiarize yourself with FindLaw before you undertake any legal research.
(Answer to #4) Computers and online databases have greatly simplified and improved the ability of paralegals to do high-quality legal research. One of the benefits of computer technology for legal practitioners is computer-assisted legal research. Thorough and up-to-date legal research requires access to a huge volume of source materials, including state and federal court decisions and statutory law. Today, attorneys and paralegals can access most of these materials online. An obvious advantage of online research is that you can locate, download, and print out court cases, statutory provisions, and other legal documents within minuteswithout leaving your desk. Another advantage is that new case decisions and changes in statutory law are entered almost immediately into certain online legal databases, especially Westlaw and Lexis. This means that you can find out quickly whether a case decided three months ago is still good law today. Internet resources are always changing, but the basic principles of online research will remain applicable.
(Answer to #5) D
(Answer to #6) E
(Answer to #7) C
Quick Reply
